Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-03-19
copyright 1871


Royal geographical Society. Jacques, the young
est, was eminent as professor OF languages I,
the middle brother, was, In every sense, the mid
die brother. i was nothing at all In particular
only a needless, careless sort OF a dog, who took
the world as a great foolish thing that had to
make the best Of; and Hfe-well, life was a Joke
This was the state OF things before the things
which i am going TO tell you happened. Since
then things have assumed a more sober guise
though still maintain that he who takes the
things OF the present existence seriously is q
very great fool.
Despite my general Indifference and lax views,
my two distinguished brothers were exceedingly
fond OF me. poked fun at their vast ertdition,
and laughed at their scientific theories This they
seemed 10 thoroughly enjoy, and at last, i came
70 the conclusion that they regarded me as sort
OF Joke-Oook. was not in the least put out by
thiS. 1 Was sure that my nonsense could not
amuSe them as much as their supposed wisdom
amused me.
what quick at catching up things, gained quite
q smattering OF scientific knowledge which, aside
from turning IL into ridicule, i made no use OF
until the occurrence OF the strange things with
which am about dealing.
enc spring day the doctors suddenly Informed
US that unless Jacques was at once taken from his
work. his mental energies would be destroyed.
Jacques. himself, excepted. everybody was
edly, turned TO me, and said:
well, old fellow we'll have lark, then: a reg
uiar out ana out lark You shall plan it and Henri
shall go along and act as balance wheel. Where
viii We go, and what will We do? Speak out your
first impression and no matter how reckless it is,
will obey it,
lets 90 10 the Vale OF Cashmere and thence as
near aS we can get to the summit OF the Hlma-
EyaS sslu ana a ihoiheht iaIer, was OIuSmng
with an overpowering consciousness OF my Own
absurd audacity.
Henri looked grave and dispieased, but Jacques
hailed my proposition with the heartiest laughter.
I'VE will do IT," he said and that settled IL. No
one could diSSIade him.
Il am afraid the doctors did not speak In time !"
alone
Unsettled
clenehed my hands. and then thrustine them
into my pockets, hurried away In silence. 1t was
one beloved brother crfticiZing another beloved
brother What else, but what did, could have
dOnef Under any other circumstances / should
have thraShed Henri.
few weeks later we were In the delightful Vale
Of Cashmere Already Jacques was Improving.
The beautiful valley, and, more than that, the
sight o; the eternal snow on the HimaIayaS, had
the most exhllerating effect on him. A rich color
OF health came upon his face and he was cOnIinu-
ally In The most buOyant spirits.
Perhaps you will admit now that am not such
fool" said 10 Henri, one day, when the improve
lnent In Jacques had become marked and striking.
81 never thought you In any sense a fool !" he
answered, quickly, 'but how was to know that
Whist you proposed would do him 80 much good?"
When with our guide and our attendants, We
had accomplished about half Of the difficult
ascent Henri came TO me and thanked me for not
only proposing a plan which 50 manifeStly was
beneuttng Jacques, but which also enabled him TO
carly out some OF his own geographical ambi-
uonS.
As wegradually assembled, leaving behind US the
languid Cashmerean summer, and advancing into
the endless winter OF the high submits, We were
all null OF enthusiasm over the novel experience,
and enraptured with the tremendous landscape
which wewere enabled to overlook. That is, We
were all enraptureu, and so forth, but our guides
and attendants who looked upon us as something
TO be pitted even more than idiots.
Higher and higher we went, all the while. more
and more slowly, 10 escape being harmed by the
constant change OF altitude. AT last the formal
ton OF the mountain, and the awful severity OF the
weather combined against our going rarthar in
the direction intended. We were forced to turn
back, With the summit we were anxious to
reach, still long way above us and beyond our
efforts.
Reluctantly, we gave it up, and once more set
our faces toward the Vale OF Cashmere.
On oar way down the mountain we swerved a
little from our course in ascending, and so came
under jutting point OF rock which the winds OF
centuries had swept tree OF snow. In the EXTREMIST
point OF this rock was niche about two feet
square, and In this was an object which attracted
my attention The object looked like a vase OF
antique pattern. Instantly my curiosity was
aroused, and after considerable efforts secured
the mysterious object. IL was, unIniStakable so
my learned brother assured me, an ancient HindOo
vase. II was covered with a curious piece of
metal, upon which was engraved a verse from the
Koran, and the name Of a man, who, thanks also TO
my wise brothers, found was a great savant,
nearly a thousand years before. He was In fact,
one OF the wsest men OF his day. and the strangest
Fact In his strange history was that no one knew
where or when ne had died.
The metallic cover bearing the bit of informa-
ton, which, under the exceedingly interesting and
peculiar circumstance, was so very startling, was
scaled securely over the top OF the vase with a
substance wholly unknown to INV brothers. and
which also, defed our most strenuous efforts at
The only way into the vase seemed to be by
breaking II, and since 1t might, possibly contain
penetrate its mysteries in that way We must
wait until we were once more in the beautiful
Cashnerean Valley, and no three women ever
awaited the divulgenee Of q tantalizing secret
with more reluctance.
We were eventually forced to break open the
vase after all the sealing OF the cover had been so
eHectUdliy done
Its contents, some scraps OF parchment closely
written In Sanskrit, relieved us of the unpleasant
rear that we had Killed tomb. But these same
scraps OF parchment contained the most remarka-
Bile personal history OF which ever heard.
several different periods at least half o century
apart Deciphered and translated, 1t ran thus:
10 the Hinder, greeting. II he have virtue II
bidding. II he lacks virtue and does my bidding
virtue win be accorded him. Ii he reads what
have written and needs ft not he who so read:
and all who come nom him viii De forever &c
carsed- am he who two centuries after Moham
med came, scholars called Great Ferahk1. More o.
knowledge, they said, was given 70 me than 70 AM
other man This was because from my brit
until this time my life was blameless The Spirit:
me, and from both i was offered my Will But
put them by. asking nothing until the thre'
danghters whom my wife had given me wer
grown Then my wife asked me Tor them thing
which 1, In my poverty, could not give. Then 10
the frsd time was ambitious.
might and day pondered the problem, but
could devise naught whence money would come u
me. In my blacklist moment OF despair a woman
came TO me who asked such service as was neve
asked Of man before. was afraid ana trembled
but the Turing promise OF plenteouS GIFT OF gold
which she made HE, led me into listening
needing. She and man whom she loved wer
both possessed OF great riches. They would MARI,
but for one thing she, with her womanly per
}ese, hardy spirit OF man He, with his fine fac
ana natural yigOr OF man, had the tender cling
Ing, shrinking nature OF woman. What Sh
wished OF me was 10 draw forth from them bot
their souls, and then, In letting them return sen
her SOU into his body and his soul into hers He
then, would be, both In equipment OF soul an
body, ali man She, then. would BE-, both in equip
ment OF SOU aad body. all woman. Each then, II
fhesr OWN belief, would be better fitted for eac
o<ner than tASy were as the Master OF Lie ha
made them.
I'm m bind, mad struggle for gold for m
daughters, put aside the awful fact that IL / di
tels thing would break The one great law OF th
Master oI Llfe. which broken can have no pardon
30 oddt inc woman and MAJ come 10 me at Onct
swearing To her 10 1ulfli what She required
w hiie she was gone i summoned the shadow
ones. etstechfng them 10 aid me now Full OF hOI
Tor, the spirits Of Light, forbidding what askel
Cd my persistence forSoOk me. But the Spirits
Darkness promised me aid.
Ibe man ana woman came. I put them In
deep and StirieaS sleep, and redeemed my pledo,
when they awakened, their souls had undervon
the change Contented and happy, they showere
me with gold, and departed i gave the gold
my WIFE II was sufficient TO Keep her and he
CapghtfrS a century.
THAT night, when sought sleep, the Spirits G
Light came. Because You have done this thin
Tor love- they said, 1t Will be forgiven YOU IA
Joo kept The smallest portion OF what you hay